Well Decorated U.S. Marine Staff Seargent Trapped in Nigeria

Well Decorated U.S. Marine Staff Seargent Trapped in Nigeria

Miscommunication and several serious health problems leave him stranded overseas as husband tries desperately to gain his freedom.

Zurich, Switzerland – 28 Jan, 2015 – This is the story of a US soldier who is in serious trouble, trapped in Nigeria after a miscommunication and several serious health problems left him hospitalized and near death.

Kent, a native of Los Angeles, left his US Marine Corps base in a Nigeria for a short vacation and encountered some medical issues. “Ever since I’ve known him, he has had problems with his leg, which was struck by a bullet from enemy fire while he was serving in Pakistan,” says Kent’s husband, Sascha Geyer. “He’s always had pain associated with that injury.”

Kent, a decorated staff sergeant eligible for retirement, went to a Nigerian medical center for some routine blood work and found out that some of the medication he had been taking caused his kidneys to stop functioning. He underwent a kidney transplant last August and four months later, had surgery to remove bullet fragments from his leg.

Although he is recovering well, Nigerian authorities are not allowing him to leave the country. Another huge complication is that homosexuality is a crime in Nigeria, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

“We were able to get way with just paying a fine,” says Geyer, “but he is still unable to leave. Right now he is staying with an agent who helps US soldiers in these types of situations.”

“This campaign is my last hope,” Geyer admits. “Kent has led a traumatic life from the start. His parents died in a car accident when he was 3 years old. He grew up in a foster home.

“I tried getting the Marine Corps to help but they tell me it’s not their issue since all of these problems occurred while he was off the base. The fact that he is gay has not made things any easier. He stands to lose his pension and everything he has worked so hard for.”